President's Message
Kevin Hostler, President and CEO

Visit to Rural Alaska

I often tell people that I have the best job in the state. My position allows me to interact with so many interesting Alaskans, who care about how we maintain and operate the pipeline. Since I joined Alyeska in October 2005, I have visited many places throughout Alaska. Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to Western Alaska, making stops in Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow.

When I first arrived at Alyeska, I discussed taking a trip to Rural Alaska with Willie Hensley, who oversees Alyeska’s Federal Government Relations and proudly calls Kotzebue home. Willie has a tremendous amount of pride in his heritage and where he grew up. He never forgot about our initial discussion and worked with me to plan the trip.

The dialogue with the everyday Alaskan about the importance of safely moving oil is what makes me proud to be associated with Alyeska. For the past 30 years, the Trans Alaska Pipeline System has been a visible symbol of the state’s rich history, and its economy. People can identify with the pipeline because of the Permanent Fund Dividend and as the economic driver that delivers 80 percent to the state’s budget. That is a responsibility that all of us at Alyeska take very seriously.

Our visit to Nome was a homecoming of sorts for one member of our traveling party. Lorena Hegdal, Engineering Director for Alyeska, grew up in Nome, and many members of her family and a number of friends still live there. Lorena, an Inupiat Eskimo, recently was honored with a prestigious national engineering award and the visit to Nome gave her a chance to celebrate this achievement in front of many family members and friends.

The purpose of the trip overall was to share with business and community leaders about the past, present and future of Alyeska but I also just wanted to listen. Visiting this area of the state was important to me because it gave me an opportunity to hear from a region that can sometimes be overlooked because of its remoteness. I was able to hear local leaders’ concerns, ideas and input about TAPS. We also met with lawmakers and leaders of businesses and Native organizations, visited the Red Dog Mine, and attended the opening of the Oil and Gas Symposium in Barrow. It was a rich experience, and one that I will truly appreciate for years to come.